The Child and Family Support Structure “Children’s Umbrella” is a new action undertaken by the Deputy Mayor for Social Policy of Pavlos Melas Municipality. The Structure’s office located at the Municipal Unit of Efkarpia, initiated its operation in June 2020 and operates in the framework of the Operational Programme “Central Macedonia”, “Promoting social inclusion and fighting poverty-European Central Bank (ECB)”. The Structure is funded by the European Social Fund, under the Operational Programs (OP) of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2014-2020. Its content is multidisciplinary, participatory, educational and it refers to children from infancy to adulthood .Meanwhile, bearing in mind that the child development as a personality unfolds within the family, it also refers to the parents and guardians.
The “Children’s Umbrella” provides specialized services, aiming at the child support in various ways. In this spirit, it assists children and parents with:
- Psychologist services including individual sessions for children and counseling to parents – guardians,
- Speech therapist services, evaluation and treatment program
- Occupational Therapist services, evaluation and treatment program.
- Learning support for primary school children and children with learning difficulties by an expert on special education.
- Teacher of greek language for learning support to secondary school students.
- Teacher of Mathematics for learning support to secondary school students.
- Individual dietary counseling sessions for children.
The services of the Structure are provided free of charge on the condition that the beneficiaries belong to one of the following vulnerable groups of the population:
- Children with disabilities of any kind (physical, mental, mental, sensory)
- Children living in poverty
- Children of economic migrants
- Refugee children and asylum seekers, pending the examination of the asylum application
- Children with substance abuse problems or children drug free addicted
- Juveniles with delinquent behavior, prisoners and released prisoners
- Children victims of domestic violence
- Children victims of human trafficking
In what way one may get benefits from the services of the “Children’s Umbrella”?
Initially, the interested parties should collect all the required supporting documents. Then, one submits an application to the Structure. Following the verification of the supporting documents by the competent official, the protocol number is sent by email to the interested party. Each number is unique and once the results are announced, they search one in the list of recipients using this number.
In less than a year of operation, significant social actions have been implemented, embracing the beneficiaries of the Structure, children of all ages and their parents – guardians. In the framework of these actions and on a daily basis operation, the Structure have experienced the emotional support of business enterprises activated within the boundaries of the municipality but also it has been supported by well-known ones in the Greek market.
According to the mayor, Mr Dimitris Demourtzidis, the “Children’s Umbrella” is a good practice of the Local Self Government, social oriented in a positive way. The goal of the Municipality of Pavlos Melas is to develop it even more and by end of the pandemic to embrace as many children as possible.